Setting Free
by Jayne Leigh
Summary: "I can't be your 'keeper' when you have a husband at home, wanting to be all those things." Mary and Raph are getting married but can Marshall set her free? Chapter 4
1. Chapter 1

Okay, I'm pretty new to 'In Plain Sight' but I quickly fell in the love with it and could not help but write this. Like I said, I'm new, so it might not be perfectly correct to the show but I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Setting Free

Marshall dropped down on the sofa with a loud sigh. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was only 7:30pm and he was so exhausted that he was considering just going to bed. Mary had insisted on working late ever night for the past week and they had pretty much done twice as much work as they would normally do.

He groaned when the sound of his cell phone filled the room. One night off that was all he wanted.

"Yeah..." He answered without looking at the ID.

"Marshall? You got to help me..." Mary said urgently. "I've been ambushed..."

"What? Are you okay? Where are you?" He was already on his feet, reaching for his gun and badge, suddenly wide awake.

"At home." She replied. "Brandi decided tonight was the perfect night for my bachelorette party."

He stopped and rolled his eyes, willing his heart to slow down. "So, you're not in danger?"

"Depends what you mean by danger..."

"Physical, gun held to your head, danger."

"No but someone mentioned manicures, so I can't be held accountable for my actions..."

"Mary..."

"I mean, there's not even proper drinks...No beer or tequila just this bright coloured, iced things..."

"Where are you now?" He asked, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes. He could hear music in the background and would not put it past his partner to have this conversation in front of her sister and Mother.

"I'm in my bedroom." She told him.

"You're hiding from your own bachelorette party?"

"Manicures, Marshall." She reminded him. "And I'm pretty sure I saw some face-packs and a whole crap load of make-up..."

He knew that Brandi probably meant well by organising this for Mary but it sounded more like something, she'd want for a bachelorette party. Part of him would love to watch Mary suffer through this but she had called and asked for his help. He had no choice.

"I'll be there in five." He sighed before hanging up and heading for the door.

When he arrived at Mary's house, the party was in full swing. As soon as he stepped inside, everyone's eyes were on him, questionable.

"Marshall, what are you doing here?" Jinx walked over to him with Brandi in tow. "It's a girls only night!"

"No, Mom, its okay...He can stay." Brandi wrapped her arms around one of his and pulled him further into the house.

"Uh, is Mary here?" He asked, nervously. He didn't like the look in Brandi's eye.

"She's around somewhere," she waved a hand around before turning the room full of women. "Look, girls...The stripper is here!"

"What?" Marshall exclaimed, eyes wide as the women cheered and whistled.

"We did say it was a girls only night but we could make an expectation if..."

"MARY!" He shouted, hoping not to be drowned out by the women or the music.

"What's going on?" She appeared and saw the terrified look on her best friend's face. "Marshall? Brandi, let him go..."

Marshall moved away from her quickly when she let his arm go.

"Aw come on, it's only a bit of fun!" Brandi grinned. "Besides, we didn't have time to get a real stripper."

"Stripper?" Mary repeated and looked at her partner. "For god sakes, Brandi, he's a US Marshall."

"Relax! I was joking!" She rolled her eyes. "But this is meant to be girls only."

"He's more of a girl then I am." Mary replied.

"Hey!" He shot her a_ 'do you want me to leave you here' _look.

"Maybe he should have be your maid of honour...I bet he would have thrown you a party you actually liked!" Brandi folded her arms and pouted a little.

"Believe me, you're not the first person to suggest him but you're my sister...I wanted you." Mary told her, suddenly feeling guilty, knowing Brandi had been so excited when she had asked her.

"Well, he's your best friend," she shrugged. "What is he doing for your wedding?"

"I have to do something?" Marshall looked at Mary questionable.

"He's...there's nothing really for him to do but turn up and enjoy himself." Mary stuttered a little. She had not told anyone about how she suggested to Raph, that he ask Marshall to be one of the grooms-men but her husband-to-be claimed he already had too many.

"Maybe he should walk you down the aisle."

"What?" Mary and Marshall said in unison as they both tensed up at the thought of him giving her away.

"Yeah, I mean unless you've got some kind of plan to sneak Dad in, then you need someone to give you away..." Brandi continued. "And let's be honest, Marshall has been the most important man in your life for a while now, being your partner and all that...He'll be perfect."

Brandi wanted to see what kind of reaction; she would get from the suggestion. She knew Marshall was her sister's best friend and that they were close but she never gave their friendship much thought. Then a few days ago, Raph had admitted he sometimes felt like second best whenever Marshall was around. From that moment, Brandi had silently watched Mary with her partner and she didn't know what to make of their relationship.

Mary looked across at Marshall, trying to read his reaction. Part of her wanted him to be by her side, to help her through the day but another part of her felt; it wouldn't be fair to him. The look on his face, told her, he felt the same.

"Actually, I was going to ask Mom to." Mary said suddenly.

"Ask me to do what?" Jinx frowned a little, confused.

"To talk me down the aisle." Mary replied. "It's no big deal but I thought you'd like to be a part of the ceremony."

Tears filled Jinx's eyes. "Oh, Mary...I would love to."

"Great, that's sorted." Mary turned to look at Marshall. "So, what did you want?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Why are you here?" She glared at him and then nodded slightly to the front door, indicating that he should be helping her escape.

"Oh right!" Marshall suddenly remembered why he was there. "Uh, there's an emergency at the office..."

"You need me to come in?" She cut in.

"What? No..." Brandi started.

"I'm sorry, Squish but its work." Mary shrugged. "Let's go, Marshall."

Marshall smiled apologetically at the other two women before following his partner out.

"I owe you one." Mary commented as they walked to his car.

"By now, you owe me more than one." Marshall replied.

"Whatever! Just get me out of here." She rolled her eyes.

"You call and order the pizza; we'll pick up it on the way to my place."

Mary nodded and pulled her phone, not needing to ask what he wanted. Once they reached Marshall's, he headed into the kitchen to get himself a plate and some napkins, while Mary placed the pizza box on the coffee table and grabbed the TV remote. Then she followed him into the kitchen, pulled open the fridge and took out two beers. They both dropped down beside each other on the couch. He flipped open the pizza box and placed a slice on a napkin while she opened the beer. He exchanged the pizza for a beer before putting his own slice on the plate.

"So, are we going to talk?" Marshall broke the silence after a few minutes.

"About what?" She questioned, her eyes not leaving the TV.

"You're getting married in three days."

"I knew there was something I had planned!" She said sarcastically.

"Mary..."

She sighed and turned to look at him. "What?"

"You're getting married in three days."

"Is this the part where we have a heart to heart and you try to talk me out of it?"

"Do you want me to talk you about of it?"

"Marshall..." She whined and ran a hand over her face. "I'm getting married in three days... What are you trying to do to me?"

"I'm trying to make sure you want this."

"I course, I do... You think I would have agreed to it, if I didn't want it?"

"You have not agreed to hardly anything...Is there anything you made a decision about?" Marshall countered. "Your sister and mother picked out your dress...Raph decided where and when..."

"God, Marshall, you know me...I hate planning for anything, let alone a wedding, I just got lucky that my family and fiancées actually enjoyed all that stuff."

"So, lucky that you had to call me to rescue you from your own bachelorette party?"

She rolled her eyes again. "That's nothing to do with what we're talking about."

"Of course it is!" Marshall exclaimed. "I'm so worried that you're just going along with this to please everyone because none of this is you."

She glared at him. "I left the party because I'm not into the whole make-over pamper thing... I'm not marrying that...I'm marrying Raph."

"A man, who wants a wife and a whole bunch of kids and a man who hates your job!"

"He's not marrying my job...and whether or not we have children is none of your business." She exclaimed. "Actually, none of this is!"

"Are you crazy?" He stared at her. "I'm your best friend, your partner..."

"Yeah but our relationship has nothing to do with Raph and I."

Marshall let out a small laugh and turned to face the other way, rubbing his hands over his face. Mary watched him closely, trying to work out what was going through his head.

"Are you worried that things will change once I'm married?" She asked, softly. "God, Marshall...That won't happen...Nothing will change. We'll still be the same..."

"Maybe that's the problem."

"What?"

He spun around to look at her again. "You're my partner; you come first, no matter... When the bullets are flying, you better damn well know, it'll be my body protecting yours...That's my job as your partner... When you have a crappy day and need to blow off steam by going to the shooting range or getting drunk, I'll be there handing you the ammo or the scotch bottle... that's my job as your best friend...but..."

"But what?"

"The other stuff...I can't keep doing." He whispered, sadly. "I can't be your 'keeper' when you have a husband at home, wanting to be all those things."

"Marshall..."

"Has he ever seen you cry? Does he even know about the nightmares you have? Does he know you're one click, on the computer, away from finding your Father?" Marshall questioned. "Does he know that you hate when someone else is right, not because you hate being wrong but because it makes you feel like you failed?"

"Stop..."

"Does he realize you would not only die for the people you love but for people you don't even know, for people you don't even like?" Marshall continued. "Does he know your hesitance to have children is because you're scared you'd love them too much and they'd end up breaking your heart somehow?"

"Marshall, stop!"

"I don't doubt he loves you, Mary...I don't doubt you love him but do you love enough to be in love with him for the rest of your life?" Marshall voice grew softer. "He wants to know all those things, he wants to be there for you but you need to be able to let him."

"He knows more about me then you think he does."

"I don't think he does..." Marshall shook his head. "You want everyone to think he does, including him. You think by telling him your real job will convince him how much you trust him but in fact, you told him to convince yourself he's the one for you."

"This is crazy."

"Where are you going?"

"I can't stay here and listen to you telling me, that marrying the man I love is a big mistake."

"I didn't say that." He stood in front of her to stop her from leaving. "I'm trying to look out for you."

"I'm a big girl, Marshall...I can make my decisions."

"Mary..."

"Thanks for picking me up tonight and for the pizza." She pushed past him and out the door before he could stop her.

He sighed loudly and sat back down. That had not gone well but it went exactly how he expected.

TBC

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi, thank you for all the reviews and story alerts. Please let me know what you think! **

**Enjoy!**

**Setting Free**

"Oh, Mary...You look beautiful." Jinx said tearfully as she stood behind her daughter.

Mary stared at herself in the mirror. She had to admit, she was a little worried about what dress her sister would have chosen for her but it was perfect. It was a simple, floor length, white gown, with thin spaghetti straps. She refused to wear any kind of veil or hair accessories but had been convinced into having her hair pinned up.

"You really do." Brandi agreed, joining them.

"Thanks..." Mary whispered.

"Honey, are you okay?" Jinx placed a hand on her shoulder after a few seconds of silence.

"What? Oh, yeah sure..." Mary forced herself away from the mirror.

"Well, are you ready?" Brandi asked, picking up the flowers and handing Mary hers.

She took a deep breath and glanced out the window. Raph had hired the garden of a hotel for the ceremony and Mary could see the guest, sat waiting. She saw Raph was already at the alter, waiting for her. Her eyes then went the crowd and she hardly recognised anyone. They were all Raph's family and friends; she had only invited Stan and Marshall. Stan had asked if he could bring Eleanor and she had ran into Bobby Dershowitz a few days back and he told her in was back in town for a few weeks. At least, they had helped boost her invites a little more; even her Mother and Sister invited more guests then her.

She sighed in relief when she finally spotted Marshall. "He's here."

She had not realized she had actually whispered that until Brandi laughed lightly.

"Of course, he's here...He loves you."

"And look at him, so handsome." Jinx added.

"Chico, scrubs up well."

Mary closed her eyes briefly. They were talking about Raph and she was talking about Marshall. She had been worried her best friend would not turn up today. She hadn't seen him since the night at his place when they argued about the wedding. The next day, she had called Stan and asked if it was possible to take some time off to do wedding stuff and while her boss had been surprised at the request, he told her it was no problem. Marshall had left a message for her to call him if she needed anything but she never returned it. She was just glad he was here, today. She didn't know if she would be able to go through with it, if he wasn't there.

"Are you ready?" Brandi asked again. "They're about the start the music."

"Yeah, let's get this over with." Mary replied, taking a deep breath.

Brandi grinned and hugged her sister quickly, before leading the way out the door and down the aisle.

"Let's go." Jinx hooked her arm through hers but Mary quickly stepped away.

"I don't need to be dragged down there."

"So, I'm just suppose to walk down the aisle with my arms by my side?"

"Here! Take these." Mary rolled her eyes and shoved her flowers to her.

"These are yours...What are you going to carry?"

"Nothing, I don't need anything." Mary replied._ Besides, how am I meant to grab my gun if I'm holding flowers?_

"Well, if you're sure." Jinx smelled the flowers. "They are beautiful."

"Yeah, yeah..."

When they stepped out the room and a new song started playing, Mary immediately cringed, and she hated this song.

_Is there anything you've made a decision about? _

Marshall's voice echoed around her head and she closed her eyes, hoping to stop the tears she felt starting to well up.

_Has he ever seen you cry?_

"Mary?" Jinx reached out to touch her daughter when she froze beside her.

_"I'm so worried that you're just going along with this to please everyone because none of this is you." _

"I don't know if I can do this." She whispered.

"What? Of course you can." Jinx told her. "Everyone is waiting for you...Raphael is waiting for you."

"Mom..."

"You face danger everyday...this is nothing." Jinx assured her. "Come on, it'll be fine...It'll be the happiest day of your life...We're all so excited for you."

Mary took another deep breath, trying to get a hold of her emotions. "Okay, just give me a minute..."

When the music had started, the guest all got to their feet. Stan looked past Eleanor and Bobby to Marshall. "Are you okay?"

Marshall glanced at him. "Yeah, sure..."

"Anything happen between you and Mary that I need to know about?" He questioned. He had been shocked when Mary asked for time off but understood why she would need it. What he did not understand was Marshall's mood. The younger man was quieter and a lot more withdrawn than normal.

"No."

"Marshall..." Stan sighed.

"There's nothing you need to know."

"It must be hard letting her go." Eleanor added, reaching across to pat Marshall's hand. "I mean, whenever someone gets married, they never have as much time for their friends as before."

Marshall visibly tensed at her words and his face got darker.

"Oh hell..." Bobby stared at him; he had seen that look before. "You're gonna do something stupid, aren't you."

"We'll see..." Marshall replied quietly.

Stan sighed loudly and rubbed his eyes. "I'm glad I brought my gun."

"I'm glad, I brought my camera." Bobby added, pulling it out of his pocket.

Marshall turned around to see if he could see what the holdup was but instead he saw her walking towards him. She was beautiful and when their eyes locked, he could not look away. Until that moment, he was unsure about what he was going to do. That morning, he decided to just be there for her. If she needed him, she would come to him and until she was ready to do that, whether it was today, tomorrow or a year from now, he would wait but there was something in her eyes that made him change his mind. He could see the doubt, the fear...the unhappiness.

It wasn't until Mary had walked past, that the eye contact broke and Marshall looked over at Raph, who was smiling widely.

Once they reached the front, Jinx moved to stand by Brandi, happy tears already falling down her face. Mary looked at Raph but then looked away again quickly.

"Please, everyone take a seat..." Judge looked past the couple to the guest but frowned when everyone complied about from one person. "Uh, is there a problem?"

Mary slowly turned but she did not need to because she knew who it would be.

"Marshall...Sit down." Jinx whispered loudly.

"I need to say something." Marshall ignored her and looked directly at Mary. "Before you go through with this, I need to talk to you."

Raph stared at him in disbelief but was even more shock when Mary moved towards her partner. "Mary!"

Marshall looked at him and felt like he should apologise because he knew there would be no wedding today. He turned to face Mary again just in time for her to wrap her around his neck. He immediately returned the hug and was surprised at how tightly she clung to him.

"I didn't think you would come." She whispered tearfully.

"Of course, I came..." He replied. "I'll always come."

"God, I can't believe I did this...It's my wedding." She pulled back and brushed away a few tears.

"Hey, it's okay." He said softly.

"Mary, what's going on?" Brandi stepped closer to them.

Mary looked back at her family and Raph before turning back to Marshall, looking at him helplessly.

He reached out and took her hand in his. "I meant what I said when you first got in engage... I want you to have a life time of happiness and if that means getting married today, then save me a dance later...but I also meant what I said the other night...I can be your partner and I can be your best friend, I'll always be there for you but the other stuff... Mary, I need to set you free."

"No."

They spoke so quietly, that no one around them could really hear what was being said. Jinx had made an attempt to join them but Brandi stopped her. She didn't know what they were talking about but she knew this conversation needed to happened, despite the outcome.

Both Stan and Bobby moved a little closer to them but kept back, so they didn't interrupt them. They just wanted to be there in case Marshall needed some back up and that was likely, judging by the looks he was getting from Raph's family.

"I didn't die...I'm not quitting but you need to choose." He told her. "And not because you're scared I'd leave because that would never happen...and not because of what you think will make your family happy or because you don't want to hurt Raph...If you go through with this when you're unhappy, then you'll just hurt him worse, later...And you'll hurt yourself too...I can't stand by and watch that happen."

Marshall was trying to be careful about what he said because he did not want her to feel like he was backing her into a corner. Mary never made good choices when she felt like someone was forcing her.

"You're my best friend...my only friend." He assured her. "Tell me what you need."

She threw her arms around him again. She hadn't felt this lost or afraid since the day her Father had left but when he held her, she had never felt safer. "Get me out of here."

Marshall pulled back slightly to look at her to see if she truly meant it.

"I would go without you but I got a ride with my Mother...I don't she'll help me escape." She joked slightly.

He smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Let's go."

"Mary?" Jinx pushed past Brandi.

"What are you doing?" Raph followed them, reaching out to take her arm. "It's our wedding."

"I'm sorry, I can't." She tried to remove her arm.

"Let her go." Marshall pushed him back gently. He couldn't help but feel guilty and sorry for Raph but it was his job to protect his partner.

"You stay out of this!" Raph exclaimed, angry, pain and betrayal flashed in his eyes along with tears.

Without thinking, he aimed a punch at Marshall's face but he was too quick for him. Grabbing hold of Raph's fist, he expertly twisted it back and he managed to move Mary behind him, still keeping an arm around her.

"Alright, guys...maybe it's time to go." Bobby immediately pushed between the two men.

Marshall allowed himself to be pushed back but he still watched the other man carefully. Raph began to speak in rapid Spanish and tried to move past Bobby but the detective stood firm.

"You better get out of here." Stan told Marshall. "We'll deal with this...You take care of her."

Marshall nodded and started to lead Mary away.

"Mary!" Raph called out to her.

"You can't leave!" Jinx added. "It's your wedding!"

She glanced back at them. "I'm sorry."

Marshall kept his arm around her as they silently walked to his truck. He couldn't help think back to the last time she had clung to him this tightly. The day they had found her in that basement had been one of the worse days of his life. He automatically tightened his hold on her at the memory but then had to; reluctantly let her go when they reached the truck. He held the passenger door open for her and glanced back in the direction they had come. He couldn't see an angry mob heading towards them so he took that as a good sign but did not want to hang around too long.

Marshall decided it was best to head back to his place, since none of her family knew where he lived. Also, Mary would be able to have a shower and change into some clean clothes. Once he pulled up outside the house, he turned to face her.

"Hey, you want to go in?"

She reached up and brushed away a few tears. "I broke his heart."

"I know." Marshall sighed. "But you couldn't go through with it if it was not what you wanted... In the long run, it was what was best."

"What was best would have been to tell him before today." She argued. "You knew it was a mistake...How could you see when no one else could?"

"Because I know you." He said softly.

"I didn't even know, Marshall...I thought it was what I wanted."

"It was what everyone else wanted for you." Marshall replied. "Despite, this front you put up, where you want everyone to think you like no one, that you're hard and tough but I know you will always put others first, especially your Mother and Sister."

Mary leaned back against the headrest, thinking about what he had said. He was right; there was a part of her that felt trapped in the engagement because of her family excitement. Also another part of her, felt like she owed Raph for helping out Brandi and then there was the fact he knew what she did for a living. She had wanted it to work. He was a good man who loved her and she cared for him but it just wasn't enough.

"Come on, you'll feel better after a shower, a change of clothes and some food." He reached across, covering her hand with his and squeezing it.

"I don't deserve you." She whispered.

"No, you deserve a lot more." He squeezed her hand again. "Let me take care of you for once."

She stared back at him for a few seconds, wanting to tell him, he was the only one that she ever let take care of her but a lump had rose in her throat and was worried she would start crying again if she tried to speak. So, instead she silently nodded and got out the truck, letting him lead her inside.

**TBC**

**Please review and let me know what you think! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, thank you so much for all the reviews and story alerts. Glad you like it! Sorry, it's taken a little longer to update. Please review and let me know what you think! **

**Enjoy! **

**Setting Free**

Marshall glanced at Mary's cell phone, sat ringing on his coffee table. Every five minutes, it was ringing and he knew Mary would kill him if he answered. Looking at the caller ID, he saw it was Brandi calling again. She had phoned the most, while Jinx had called three times. Raph had not called once; not that Marshall could blame him. If he were him, he'd be getting very drunk right now. He sighed and stood up; Mary seemed to be taking the world's longest shower and he needed something to do before he went crazy. Moving into the kitchen, he pulled open the fridge to see what food he had. He began to pull different ingredient out before searching the rest of the kitchen. Mary liked to eat and he liked to cook, so he decided making a feast would be the best way to kill time.

Twenty minutes later, he stepped back and looked around; wondering if he had done too much. There was chicken roasting in the oven, potatoes ready to mash, and three different kinds of vegetables in the steamer. Despite his concerns, he still reached for some salad, not really knowing what kind of food Mary would feel like eating. He was washing some lettuce and trying to decide if he would have enough time to make a dessert, when a knock on his front door caused him to freeze for a moment. Shaking his head, he realized that it was probably just Stan, checking up on them.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Bobby stood, leaning against the doorframe.

"So, you guys can never do anything the normal way…" He commented.

"We like to be different." Marshall shot back.

"So, are you going to invite me in?" Bobby moved past him. "Nice place."

"What are you doing here?" Marshall questioned as he closed the door.

"You left me to deal a group of angry wedding guests …I want the full story."

"Full story?" Marshall repeated. "There's no story… It was not what she wanted."

"Come on, man…You stood up during the ceremony and talked her out of getting married."

"She's my partner, my best friend." Marshall narrowed his eyes at him. "And I never talked her out of anything…I just give her option."

"Are you sure it was, nothing more than friends?" Bobby raised an eyebrow.

"What? No!"

"I always wondered about the two of you."

Marshall rubbed his hands over his face. "Bobby, trust me…It's nothing more than friendship…She's my best friend and I'd do anything for her, including stopping her from marrying a guy, who's not right for her."

"If you say so." He shrugged and as he moved around the room. He looked into the kitchen. "Wow, you got enough food there? Were you doing the catering for the wedding?"

"He likes to cook when he's bored." Mary appeared from the hall way.

She walked past both men without looking at them and headed straight for the couch. Her hair was still wet from the shower and the clothes she wore obviously belonged to Marshall.

"What you doing here, Dershowitz?" Mary asked, as she pulled her legs up, drawing them to her chest.

"Your Chief wanted to come and check on you but something came up at the office…I said I would drop by."

"There was no need." Mary checked her cell and scowled when she saw all the missed calls.

"Brandi's called a handful of times." Marshall told her.

"She seemed pretty worried about you." Bobby added.

"I talk to her later." She muttered.

"So, is there anything I can do?" Bobby asked after a few seconds of silence.

"No, I think Martha Stewart over there has everything covered…" Mary nodded over at her partner.

"Thanks for your help today." Marshall clapped the detective on the back and followed him to the front door.

"Hey, I'm used to it when it comes to you two." Bobby comment, pulling open the door. "Just give me a call if you need anything else."

"Thanks." Marshall leaned back against the closed door and sighed quietly. He was not used to 'this' Mary. He was used to her ranting and raving, giving her opinion about whatever, to whomever. He had seen, 'quiet' Mary before but it always unnerved him. He never knew if what he said or did would make her cry, get her angry or cause her to run. He hated it when he did not know what she was going to do.

"Are you just going to stand there all night?" Mary broke the silence but never moved her eyes off of the blank TV screen.

"Just thinking." He shrugged and walked back over to join her on the couch. "Are you hungry?"

She shrugged, wordlessly.

"I got chicken, potatoes, salad…" He listed. "We could always order a takeaway if none of that…"

"Marshall…" She cut him off. "Maybe later."

"Okay."

Mary's phone rang again and growled in frustration. Snatching it off the coffee table, she turned it off and threw it in the direction of the armchair.

"You know you'll have to speak to them sooner or later."

"Why? So they can tell me how much I screwed up by not getting married?" She replied. "How Raph is such a great guy and I'm crazy to let him go."

"Mary…"

"How he's a good man and I broke his heart…How he didn't deserve any of this."

"Listen…"

"He didn't deserve any of this, Marshall." She whispered, looking down at her hands.

"I know but that's not a good enough reason to marry him." He told her. "You deserve more than that. You deserve to be happy."

"Sometimes, it feels wrong to be happy."

Marshall frowned. "Wrong?"

"You know my family…You know how messed up they are…You know me…You know that I have no friends other then you…You know how crazy and scary our job can get…Yet, that's when I'm the happiest." She admitted. "When it's just us doing our job."

"And you think that's wrong?" He stared at her. "You don't think that's when I'm the happiest too?"

"I had a good man at home who loved me and was willing to give me everything I wanted…I couldn't even force myself to be happy! That's what's wrong!"

"You should never have to force yourself to be happy!" He claimed. "And Raph was not willing to give you everything you wanted…Which is probably why you were not happy!"

"He loved me…He accepted my family..."

"He hated your job and never tried to understand it, even after you told him what you did." Marshall interrupted. "He lied about your engagement…"

"Stop!" She stood up quickly. "Just stop!"

Marshall closed his mouth and looked up at her silently.

"I will not sit here and listen to you justifying what I did by making out that he was a bad man!"

Marshall got to his feet to and held up his hand in defence. "I'm sorry. I never meant to imply he was a bad man…I know you care about him."

"I do."

"But that doesn't make him right for you." Marshall continued cautiously. "Despite how good of a man he was or how much you cared about each other…He wanted you to change for him and that's something you should never have to do."

"Jesus, Marshall…You're making it sound like he was forcing me to marry him…I agreed to the engagement…I agreed to the wedding date…I agreed to let him organize everything with Brandi and my Mom."

Marshall turned away and took a deep breath and Mary knew that was a sign that he was forcing himself not to say something.

"What?" Mary questioned but her Partner stayed quiet. "Marshall, just say it?"

"Someone should not have to plan their wedding with their fiancées' Mother and sister… Forget the fact, he got everything wrong… A wedding should involve the groom _and _the bride." Marshall ranted slightly. "How did he not see that was a sign how uninterested you were? He wanted to spend the rest of his life with you but he could not see the real you…"

"What do you mean, he got everything wrong?" She frowned.

"What?"

"About him planning the wedding…You said, forget the fact, he got everything wrong."

Marshall shrugged. "You're telling me that was the kind of wedding you wanted?"

"It might have been."

"It wasn't."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you!" He insisted, in frustration. "You don't care about flowers or music or what kind of food they're serving. You don't need a hundred and one people there to witness it…"

Mary stared at him and briefly wondered why she was always surprised about how well this man knew her.

"You would want your Mother and sister there and Stan but no one else would matter…You wouldn't want a big party afterwards…a quiet meal with close family to celebrate but that's it." Marshall's voice softened slightly. "You wouldn't care about the wedding because the marriage is what is important to you."

"Marshall…"

"This wedding was just a band aid to cover up the holes in your relationship…You both knew it but neither of you wanted to admit it."

There was a few seconds of silence, Mary did not know what to say and Marshall was not sure whether he had crossed a line. The sound of Marshall's cell phone startled them both. He glanced at the caller ID before answering.

"Hey, Stan…What's up?"

Mary dropped back down on the couch as Marshall left the room to talk to their boss. She knew he was right but it always scared her how well he knew her. He knew her better then she knew herself, sometimes.

She could hear parts of Marshall's conversation with Stan and could tell he was calling to check up on them, rather than because there was a problem at work. When the phone call ended, she looked towards the door but Marshall did not appear. Instead, she could hear him moving around in the kitchen.

After 10 minutes, Mary finally couldn't stand it anymore. Pushing herself to her feet, she entered the kitchen. She watched him, moving around the kitchen as he plated up the food he had made and placed it in the middle of the table.

"Bobby was right…You have done way too much food for the two of us."

He shrugged. "I didn't know what you would fancy eating."

"It all looks great." She said softly.

"Well, it's ready whenever you want it."

She nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table. He handed her an empty plated before pulling up the fridge and getting them each a beer.

"What did Stan want?" She asked as she spooned some potatoes onto her plate.

"To see how you were doing…I told him, you'll be fine and be back at work on Monday unless anything comes up before then."

"Thanks."

"He said he spoke with Brandi…She's pretty concerned about you."

Mary sighed. "Probably concerned how this affects her…"

"She told Stan, she had a feeling this was going to happen…That she was sorry she never spoke up like I did."

"Really, Brandi? My sister?"

"You have to admit, she has grown up in the past year."

"I guess."

"You're going to have to speak to her."

"I will but not yet…"

"Okay, I'll talk to her."

"Marshall…"

"She's worried, Mary." Marshall cut in. "Just let me tell her you're okay and you'll speak to her yourself soon."

She sighed. "Fine."

"Once we're done eating, I'll go over to your place then."

"Wait, what? My place?"

"You're going to need some clothes and stuff unless you plan on stealing all of mine?"

"I didn't think you'd mind."

"You know I don't but if you want to stay a few days then you're going to need some of your own stuff."

"Who said I was going to stay a few days."

"You want to go home?"

"No."

"You want to stay here for a few days?"

"Yes."

"Then for god sake just let me take care of this." He rolled his eyes. "I'll go check on Brandi and your Mom and pick up some stuff for you."

"Whatever!" She muttered staring down at the food she was pushing around on her plate.

Marshall sighed but did not comment. He knew that if she really had a problem with him going to her place, she would not allow him. She just did not want to admit, she wasn't ready to face her family or that she needed to stay with him in case it made her seem weak.

Neither of them ate much and stayed silent throughout the meal. Afterwards, Mary went and sat in front of the TV again but never turned it on.

"This there any in particular you need?" Marshall questioned.

"No."

"I won't be long." He felt a little better. 'Quiet' Mary had turned into 'Sulky' Mary. Although, he rarely saw much of this side of her, he knew how to handle it. He knew how far he could push her before she snapped back and he knew once she had enough time to brood, she would normally open up to him.

On the drive over to Mary's house, Marshall tried to figure out the best thing to tell Jinx and Brandi. He thought about Bobby's reaction to him stopping the wedding; he had assumed they were romantically involved. If Mary's mother and sister thought the same, he wasn't sure he would be able to convince them otherwise or how they would treat him.

As he pulled into the driveway, he noticed the lights on in the house, losing any hope that he could slip in without anyone being home. He sighed, deciding it was probably better to get it over with quickly. He used his key to let himself in and immediately heard the voices in the kitchen stop.

"Mary?" Brandi appeared with Jinx and Peter, following.

"Uh, no...It's just me."

"Where's Mary?" Jinx demanded.

"She's at my house."

"Is she okay?" Brandi questioned.

"She will be." Marshall replied. "I just stopped by to get her some clothes and stuff."

"Well, when is she coming home?" Brandi asked, folding her arms across her chest.

Marshall recognised the move as something Mary did when she wanted to look strong and intimidating. He might have thought Brandi was angry if it wasn't for the slight tremor in her voice.

"I don't know. She just needs a little space right now." Marshall told her softly.

"She needs to be here!" Jinx instead. "She needs to talk to Raphael…She needs to make things right…To make up with him"

Marshall resisted the urge to roll his eyes; Mary had predicted that reaction.

"She's not going to make up with him…She did the right thing by not marrying him."

"What the hell would you know?"

"I know Mary." He stated calmly.

"Oh? Just how _well_ do you know her? How long have you two been screwing around?"

"We're not screwing around." Marshall gritted his teeth together in an attempt to keep his temper under control. "Mary is my best friend, nothing has happened between us."

"Yeah, well you would say that wouldn't you."

"Mom!" Brandi glared at her.

"What?" She looked innocently at her youngest daughter. "He walks around like he is the perfect guy. That he is the only one that can take care of Mary. When she was shots, he was always hanging around…Getting in our way of spending time with her…Dragging her back to work too soon…"

"He was trying to help her." Brandi defended him. She had a good friendship with Raphael but there was something different with Marshall. From the moment she had met him, he had always treated her like an equal, always talked to her normally and not some dumb blonde like most people did. She always knew Marshall knew her sister better then all of them put together so if anyone would know what she truly wanted; it was would be Marshall.

"So, he says…but where was he when she was actually getting shot, when she really needed him?"

There was a stunned silence and everyone stared at Jinx in disbelief. She continued to look at Marshall but then had to turn away; he looked like she had just slapped him. She silently turned and went back into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry…She doesn't mean that…She's upset." Brandi broke the silence, her arms dropping to her side. "Normally when she's upset, she drinks…I guess we should be glad she's not."

"It's fine…I understand." Marshall claimed but neither Brandi nor Peter believed him. "I better get Mary's stuff together."

"I borrowed her IPod the other day, I'll go get it." Brandi told him before heading for her room.

"Listen, Marshall…I should warn you, Raph is here." Peter said once they were alone.

"In the house?"

"He's out back…I just thought you should know." Peter explained. "You should also know that if things got violent, Jinx wouldn't help you, Brandi might and I would like to but I really wouldn't know what to do."

"Relax; I'm not here to cause trouble." Marshall tried to reassure him.

"Good because I think Mary would kick all our asses if she had to come here to break the two of you up…or bail you out of jail."

"Marshall smiled slightly. "You're right…I guess, I better get that stuff and get out of here."

"I'll go and keep Raph distracted."

"Okay." Marshall nodded and headed towards Mary's room before stopping. "Peter, wait…"

"Yeah?"

"Don't stop him…If he wants to talk to me then he can."

"Are you sure?" The other man hesitated.

"Yeah, he has done nothing wrong and the woman he loves broke his heart today in front of his family and friends… Even though I believe it was the right thing to do, stopping the wedding and I'd do it all over again…He deserves to have some answers to questions he must have."

"Well, okay… I'll let him know you're here." Peter replied before turning away again.

Marshall sighed loudly and continued into Mary's room. He wondered what Mary would say if he returned with a black eye. He found his partner's bag under the bed and quickly began to fill it. He was used to packing fast; even Mary's stuff. There were times when he had to pack for her, so he knew where all her things were.

"Do you need some help?" Brandi appeared in the doorway, with Mary's IPod.

"No, I think I got everything she'll need for a few days."

"Will you tell her I'm sorry?"

Marshall frowned. "What for?"

"I don't know…I'm just sorry." She shrugged. "Maybe Mom and I pushed her into this… but we just wanted her to be happy."

"She doesn't blame you, Brandi." He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Then why won't she talk to me?"

"She needs space…This is Mary we're talking about. She feels like she's failed and Mary doesn't do very well with failing."

"I guess, you're right."

"I'll tell her to call you as soon as she feels up to it."

"Okay, thank you."

"I'm going to go." He zipped up her bag after placing the IPod instead. "Call me if you need anything."

"Don't worry about us…Just take care of Mary."

"I'll try."

Brandi followed him out into the hallway and both of them stopped when they saw Raph blocking the front door with Jinx right by his side. The first thing Marshall noticed was his red, tear stained eyes. He glanced down, noticing an almost empty bottle of tequila in his hand and wondered how full that bottle had been when Raph had started drinking.

"Hey, Chico…Why don't we go back outside." Brandi stepped towards him.

"No."

"This isn't going to solve anything…"

"It is okay, Brandi." Marshall cut her off.

"We need to talk." Raph looked at him. "Man to Man."

"If that's what you want." Marshall nodded, letting the bag drop to floor. "Let's go."

"Should we do something?" Brandi asked Peter and Jinx as they watched Marshall follow Raph outside.

"We should let them sort it out themselves." Jinx answered and moved to watch from the window.

Peter put an arm around Brandi's shoulder, comfortingly. "It'll be okay."

She leaned into his touch but did not say anything. She just wished, for something to go right for a change.

**TBC **

**Please review and let me know what you think! I've read a lot of fics where Brandi has acted angry, jealous and bitchy. What do you think of her reaction? What do you think of Jinx's? Do you think will happen between Raph and Marshall?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, thanks for all the reviews! Please keep them coming. **

**Warrior-Chic: I actually had the episode where Marshall is answering questions about Mary for Brandi's paper in 'Duplicate Bridge' in mind when I wrote his conversation with Brandi. Love that episode! **

**Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter! **

**Enjoy! **

**Setting Free**

Marshall followed Raphael outside, slowly; watching the other man. He had no doubt that if things got violent, he would be able to defend himself but drunks were unpredictable. Raph stopped but did not turn around; instead he looked into the swimming pool. Marshall stayed back and waited silently.

"You know, I should punch you in the face." Raph muttered after a few minutes placing the bottle of tequila on the grass.

"If it will make you feel better…" Marshall started but trailed off when Raph spun around.

"We both know that I'd lose even if I was sober."

"Raphael, I stood up during your wedding and then walked out with your bride…You have a right to be angry." Marshall stepped closer to him and held out arms. "If it'll make you feel better to hit me, then go for it."

Raph stared at him for a long minute; his fists clenched tightly at his side before he sighed loudly and dropped his head to look downwards.

"Why do you have to be such a good guy?" Raph shook his head slightly. "How am I meant to be angry with you and fight you when you're the one telling me to?"

Marshall just stood there, waiting for Raph's next move.

"I'm not a violent person, Marshall…" He whispered and sat down on a sun lounger, covering his face with his hands.

Marshall's eyes closed and he took a slow, deep breath when he thought about the last time he had heard Raph say that.

"Do you love her?"

His eyes shot open and saw the other man sat staring up at him.

"Raphael, I know after everything that has happened today you have no reason to believe me but Mary and I are just friends. Nothing has happened."

"I didn't ask if anything had happened." Raph reached down and picked the tequila bottle up and took a mouthful. "That night…In the hospital…You looked after everyone…Brandi, Jinx…even me. How much did that kill you?"

"Raph…"

"Does she know?"

"She's my best friend…" Marshall tried to explain again.

Raph laughed and stood up, swaying slightly. He handed Marshall the bottle as he headed back inside. "Here, you need this more than me."

"She does care about you, Raph…That's why she let it go this far." Marshall told him. "But it wasn't meant to be and some point in the future, you'll be able to see that too."

"Can you tell her, that I'll move all my stuff out over the weekend?"

"Of course…" Marshall replied. "And Raph?"

He turned and looked back at him, questionable.

"I am sorry you got hurt but I couldn't just sit by and watch her do something she didn't want."

"You'll take care of her?"

"Always."

"You better do it well." Raph told him. "Because you'll the only one she will let close enough to do it."

Marshall just watched him enter the house and could see Jinx demanding answer as he walked through the door but he just ignored her and carried on walking. Marshall sighed, tilting his head back and closed his eyes. That could have gone a lot worse and he felt better for talking to Raph.

"Marshall?" Brandi called out quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I should get going."

Brandi nodded and wrapped her arms around herself, reminding Marshall of a scared kid.

"It'll be okay, Brandi…I promise." He squeezed her shoulder as he passed. "It's going to be weird for a little but everyone will get through it. Your Mom won't start drinking and Peter won't go running for the hill because of your crazy family. Mary will bounce back quicker than you think and even Raph will realize this is for the best."

She stared at him for a few seconds. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Read my mind! Mary's right! You are weird!"

Marshall couldn't help but laugh as she turned and left.

_**XxXxX**_

"Marshall?" Mary called out when she heard the front door close.

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"Knowing my luck, anyone could turn up." She muttered and stood up to greet him.

"I'm sorry." They both said unison. "Why are you sorry?"

"Okay, we have to stop that or we'll be here all night." Marshall rubbed his tired eyes.

"I'm sorry I got pissy at you…when you're the one that's looking out for me." She said. "And by the way, that's the only apology you're going to get from me…Ever."

He rolled his eyes. "Now there's a surprise."

"Now you go."

"I'm sorry I tried to push you too far." He said softly and he lifted his arms so she could see the bags in his hands. "I brought gifts…Your clothes and shower kit…."

"Is that pie?" Mary grabbed for the other bag.

"Apple and Cinnamon."

"My favourite." She was already half way to the kitchen.

"I know." He followed her, watching as she just grabbed two forks and then returned to the sofa. He raised an eyebrow at her questionable.

"If you're going to just stand there, I will eat your half to." She said as she shoved a forkful into her mouth. "And there's enough washing up to do out there after your cooking marathon so why added plates when we really don't need them."

He sighed and dropped down beside her, taking the fork she held out to him. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Mary spoke.

"So, you going to tell me what happened with my family?"

"Nothing much…Nothing surprising."

"They were freaking out about the mess I have caused and wondering who was going to clean it up since I wasn't around?"

"Brandi was concerned about you…She wanted me to tell you she was sorry."

"What?"

Marshall shrugged. "I told her you would call her when you get chance."

She sighed and looked up at him, feeling guilty. "She's really worried?"

"Yeah but we talked and she knows you'll talk to her when you're ready." Marshall told her. She was staring down at the pie but neither of them was eating anymore. "Raph was there."

"What?" She looked up at him quickly. "Did he see you?"

"Yeah."

"Damn."

"It's okay, Mare…We talked."

"Just talked?"

"I did say he could punch me in a face if it made him feel better…" He smiled slightly.

"Marshall!"

"We talked for a little while but there were no raised voices or fists…He asked me to tell you, he would be out of the house by the end of the weekend."

She nodded, slightly. "What did you talk about?"

"Sports."

She glared at him. "You want to joke around? Now?"

"He asked if we were having an affair, I said no…He believed me." He told her and she gave him a disbelieving look. "I'm not kidding… and he asked me to take care of you."

"I don't need anyone to take care of me."

Marshall rolled his eyes but did not comment.

"Was my Mom drunk?" She asked suddenly.

"No."

"Are you sure? She's good at hiding it."

"Mary, I'm a US Marshal…I'm trained to spot those kind of details. Besides, Brandi and Peter are keeping an eye on her."

"Good." She replied and leaned back against the couch. "I bet she's real mad about all this."

"Well, she didn't believe me when I said we weren't together…" He told her, knowing she would probably find out later.

Mary let out a laugh. "I guess that happens when you go around running off with someone else bride."

"You say that as if it's a hobby of mine."

"Wouldn't surprise me…You're the kind of guy who would always be the Knight in Shining Armour." She replied. "I'm sorry, if Jinx said anything upsetting to you..."

Marshall tensed slightly as he thought back to his conversation with her Mother.

"…_But where was he when she was actually getting shot, when she really needed him?"_

"Marshall?" Mary frowned at him. "What?"

"Nothing…"

"What did she say to you?"

"Forget it, Mary…She was angry and lashing out." He told her. "I'm a big boy…Stick and stones and all that."

"Marshall, I swear to god whatever she said wasn't true…You're my best friend and she has no right to treat you like that…You did nothing wrong!"

"It is okay, Mare."

"No, she whatever she said, she said to hurt you and that's not okay…" She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek to turn his face so he was looking at her. "I won't let you feel bad for doing the right thing."

"I would do it all over again in heartbeat."

She leaned up slowly and kissed his cheek.

"So, are you still my keeper?" She whispered, pulling back only slightly.

"You said I could not quit." He replied; his eyes locked with hers.

"You can't." She leaned in again but this time, she pressed her lips against his.

"Mary…We can't…" He pulled away but only so he could look into her eyes.

"Why? I thought you…"

"You just broke up with Raph and your head and heart are all over the place…We can't."

She fell back against the couch again. "Do you have to over analyse everything? Why do you always have to think ahead of every moment?"

"I don't have to for every moment, Mary but I do for this one because our friendship, our partnership is worth more than a moment of madness." He told her. "You're too important to me and we would need to be 100 per cent sure it would be worth risking losing each other for."

She nodded slightly in agreement but didn't say anything. After a few minutes, she picked her fork back up and started eating the pie again. She glanced across at him and saw he was watching her. She smiled slightly and led her head on his shoulder.

"Pie makes everything better."

He put one arms around her shoulder and used his other hand to dig into the pie.

"Yeah, it really does."

**The End**

**Okay, I'm pretty sure that's it. I hope you all weren't too disappointed with Raph's and Marshall's conversation. I just couldn't picture Raph attacking him for some reason. I promise there will be some 'badass lawman' Marshall in my next fic! **

**Please review and let me know what you think! **


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